By Julie Tomascik
Editor

Voters will decide the future of the nation and the Lone Star State in the coming months, but only if you’re registered to participate in the process.

The deadline for Texans to register for the Nov. 3 General Election is Tuesday, Oct. 5.

Applications to register are available on votetexas.gov and at local election offices. Texans also can determine whether or not they’ve already registered on the website.

“Your vote is your decision. Regardless of how you vote, know that your vote counts, so be sure to register and pledge to vote,” Regan Beck, Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) director of Government Affairs, said.

Legislative redistricting in Texas will take place in the upcoming state legislative session.

“Every 10 years, a decennial census is conducted, with the results used to redraw district lines for the U.S. Congress and Texas State Senate and State House seats,” Beck said. “It is estimated that Texas will add three new U.S. Congressional seats in addition to our current 38-member Congressional delegation.”

The rural vote is an important one, Beck noted.

“Farmers and ranchers are a small part of the population, but rural America has a considerable stake in the outcome of the election,” Beck said.

TFB and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) have online tools to help farmers and ranchers prepare for this election and other elections in the future.

TFB has VoterVoice, which includes a feature that allows users to find candidates on ballots, based on an address.

To help voters navigate the challenges of ensuring their voices are heard in the 2020 election, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) launched an election toolkit.

Click here to access the election toolkit.

Other voter tools for farmers, ranchers and the public are available on the AFBF website.

AFBF also has a section dedicated to the two highest-profile candidates’ positions on several topics directly affecting America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities, including trade, labor, regulatory reform and sustainability.

Both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden responded to a questionnaire from AFBF.

The website presents a side-by-side comparison of their answers as they were received, unedited, to give Farm Bureau members an unfiltered look at each candidate’s platform. AFBF has invited candidates from both parties to respond to election questionnaires for more than 40 years.

AFBF also urges farmers and ranchers to take the iFarmiVote pledge to stress the importance of the rural vote.

Click here to take the pledge to vote.

“When they take the pledge, a pin is dropped on a map of the United States to identify their location and visually show the strength of the Farm Bureau family,” Michael Sistak, AFBF director of Grassroots Program Development, said.

Election Day is set for Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation extending early voting by personal appearance. Early voting will take place Oct. 13-30.

The proclamation also expands the period in which marked mail-in ballots may be delivered in person to the early voting clerk’s office, allowing such delivery prior to as well as on Election Day.

For more information on voting during COVID-19, visit votetexas.gov.